Kay Scarpetta Books in Order
Patricia Cornwell's long-running crime series following Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist and medical examiner who uses cutting-edge science to hunt killers. Spanning from 1990's Postmortem onward, the books trace Scarpetta's cases alongside her niece Lucy, investigator Pete Marino, and analyst Benton Wesley.
Publication order
In the order the books were originally released.
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Buy on Amazon1990 · Patricia Cornwell
A killer is stalking the streets of Richmond, Virginia. As bodies mount, Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is pulled into an investigation…
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Buy on Amazon1991 · Patricia Cornwell
Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta investigates the murder of Beryl Madison, an author whose latest manuscript has disappeared. The novel, set in…
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Buy on Amazon1992 · Patricia Cornwell
All That Remains is a 1992 book by Patricia Cornwell. It is book 3 of the series Kay Scarpetta. Catalog genres: Suspense In Literature, Crime Fiction.
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Buy on Amazon1993 · Patricia Cornwell
On a cold December night in Virginia, convicted murderer Ronnie Joe Waddell is executed in the electric chair. Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the state's chief…
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Buy on Amazon1994 · Patricia Cornwell
Little Emily Steiner was found dead after she left a church meeting in North Carolina and walked home along a lakeside path. Her body was discovered…
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Buy on Amazon1995 · Patricia Cornwell
A 1995 novel by Patricia Cornwell. In Richmond, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, chief medical examiner of Virginia and FBI consultant, learns during a late-night…
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Buy on Amazon1996 · Patricia Cornwell
The body of Theodore Andrew Edding was found underwater after a supposed diving session. Forensic expert Kay Scarpetta investigates and begins…
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Buy on Amazon1997 · Patricia Cornwell
A 1997 novel by Patricia Cornwell. Dr. Kay Scarpetta returns from Dublin, where she examined a murder victim whose limbs and head were expertly…
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Buy on Amazon1998 · Patricia Cornwell
Point of Origin is a 1998 novel by Patricia Cornwell, from the author of Unnatural Exposure and Cause of Death. It pits Virginia's chief medical…
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Buy on Amazon1999 · Patricia Cornwell
A cargo ship arrives at Richmond's Deep Water Terminal from Belgium with a locked, sealed container containing the decomposed remains of a stowaway.…
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Buy on Amazon2000 · Patricia Cornwell
In 2000, Patricia Cornwell published a novel featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta and Detective Pete Marino as they work together to solve a case. The story…
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Buy on Amazon2003 · Patricia Cornwell
A 2003 novel by Patricia Cornwell. Dr. Scarpetta is no longer Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner, so she packs up and heads for Florida, where she…
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Buy on Amazon2004 · Patricia Cornwell
Dr. Kay Scarpetta returns to Richmond, Virginia, after being called by the new Chief Medical Examiner, who claims to need her help. Upon arrival, she…
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Buy on Amazon2005 · Patricia Cornwell
Dr. Kay Scarpetta investigates a case that takes her from Florida to Boston, where psychological clues suggest a highly intelligent and dangerous…
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Buy on Amazon2007 · Patricia Cornwell
Patricia Cornwell's 2007 crime novel follows Dr. Kay Scarpetta as she moves to Charleston, South Carolina, to establish a private forensic pathology…
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Buy on Amazon2008 · Patricia Cornwell
Kay Scarpetta leaves her forensic pathology job in Charleston to take a case in New York City. There, she hears the story of an injured psychiatric…
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Buy on Amazon2009 · Patricia Cornwell
Now consulting for a New York medical examiner's office and appearing on a cable crime show, Scarpetta is drawn into the death of a financial…
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Buy on Amazon2010 · Patricia Cornwell
Heading a cutting-edge forensic center in Massachusetts, Scarpetta returns from a training trip to find a man dead outside her own facility, with…
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Buy on Amazon2011 · Patricia Cornwell
Scarpetta travels to a Georgia prison to interview an inmate connected to the murder of a former colleague, hoping for answers about an old loss.…
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Buy on Amazon2012 · Patricia Cornwell
A paleontologist vanishes from a dinosaur dig site, and forensic expert Kay Scarpetta receives a disturbing message that suggests the disappearance…
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Buy on Amazon2013 · Patricia Cornwell
Dust is a 2013 crime novel by Patricia Cornwell, the 21st book in the Kay Scarpetta series. The story centers on the murder of a young girl, whose…
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Buy on Amazon2014 · Patricia Cornwell
This novel by Patricia Cornwell is an American detective and thriller novel published in 2014. It is the twenty-second novel in the series featuring…
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Buy on Amazon2015 · Patricia Cornwell
While performing an autopsy, Scarpetta receives mysterious video clips on her phone showing her niece Lucy years earlier, hinting at long-buried…
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Buy on Amazon2016 · Patricia Cornwell
This novel by Patricia Cornwell is an American detective and thriller novel published in 2016. It is the twenty-fourth novel in the series featuring…
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Buy on Amazon2021 · Patricia Cornwell
Back in Virginia as chief medical examiner once more, Scarpetta investigates a railway worker's brutal killing while juggling a sensitive case with…
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Buy on Amazon2022 · Patricia Cornwell
Scarpetta serves as an expert witness in a high-profile murder trial when the sudden death of a judge throws everything into turmoil. The case grows…
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Buy on Amazon2023 · Patricia Cornwell
A mutilated body discovered near a Virginia waterway draws Scarpetta into a case with unsettling, almost inexplicable elements. As she works…
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Buy on Amazon2024 · Patricia Cornwell
Scarpetta is called to a remote site where a famous figure has died under bizarre and seemingly impossible circumstances. With her sister entangled…
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Companion & related books
Short-story collections and companion titles in this series.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Kay Scarpetta books in?
Read them in publication order, starting with “Postmortem”. Start with “Postmortem.”
How many books are in the Kay Scarpetta series?
We list 30 books by Patricia Cornwell , published between 1990–2025.
Where can I buy the Kay Scarpetta books?
Each title above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.